Cecelia Tremaine
Cecelia Tremaine is a character in Once Upon a Time. She was the mother of Ella Mills (the second iteration of Cinderella), the mother-in-law of Henry Mills and grandmother of Henry Mills. She débuts, with her only appearance, in the ninth episode of the seventh season and is portrayed by guest star Cindy Luna. Cecelia is based on Cinderella's mother from the fairytale "Cinderella", and the Disney film Cinderella. History Cecelia is Ella's mother. The identity of Ella's birth father is unknown, however, Cecelia eventually marries Marcus, a supposed widower with two daughters of his own, after his wife Rapunzel mysteriously vanishes, and he becomes the only father Ella ever knows. Unknown to Marcus, Rapunzel is trapped in a tower because she made a deal with a witch at the time to secure her family's safety and happiness, which enabled Marcus and his daughters to survive a lean season. On Cecelia's wedding day to Marcus, she gives him a locket that matches her own, and both lockets glow to symbolize their love for each other so they can always find each other. ("Pretty in Blue", "One Little Tear") After Rapunzel escapes and reunites with Marcus and their daughters, Cecelia remains married to Marcus, although Rapunzel is allowed to be with her daughters. While Marcus admits to Rapunzel he still loves her, he is committed to Cecelia and Ella as well. Gothel, intending to test the purity of Rapunzel's heart to see if she fits the criteria to be the Guardian, offers her a mushroom to poison Cecelia's heart and regain her place in her family, but Rapunzel is adamantly against hurting an innocent woman. During Drizella's birthday party, Cecelia compliments Rapunzel on the treats she prepared for the guests and suggests she should be celebrating instead of working on her daughter's special day. Marcus tells Rapunzel that Cecelia is trying to make things work although their situation is complicated and that perhaps she could look after Ella as Cecelia has done for Anastasia and Drizella, but Rapunzel refuses as she feels like an outcast. Rapunzel, upset at Drizella's lukewarm response to the gift she gave her, is hurt and jealous when she overhears her daughter not only thank Cecelia for her present but call her "Mother". Succumbing to her envy, she squeezes liquid from the mushroom into Cecelia's drink, poisoning the woman's heart. Cecelia, in turn, runs away to Wonderland to protect her loved ones. Marcus uses his locket to track her to that realm's Infinite Maze, but before he can go searching for her, his locket stops glowing, causing him to believe she has stopped loving him. ("One Little Tear") After one year,1 Marcus stops trying to find Cecelia. During her time in Wonderland, Cecelia meets Alice at a tea party and tells her about having to leave her family. At some point, Cecelia and Alice are attacked by a Jabberwock at the tea party, where Cecelia fights valiantly but she is killed by the beast, leaving Alice as the sole survivor to slay it. ("Pretty in Blue") Ella grows up assuming her mother abandoned her and her father, which causes her to be disillusioned about true love and happy endings, but she eventually learns the truth from Alice about her mother's reasons for leaving them. ("Pretty in Blue")